If American popular music is the Mississippi River, then Nick Spitzer takes his “American Routes” show wading in the upland streams and creeks that feed the Big Muddy. Just as the country is no melting pot, its popular music is no puree – instead, it’s a big old… Read More
Walt Disney’s first groundbreaking animated classic came alive Wednesday night as Disney on Ice presented “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the first of nine shows at the Bangor Auditorium. Set against the backdrop of a giant library, the theme of the evening was “reading… Read More
From its breakout hit “Married … With Children” to the recent success of “Malcolm in the Middle,” Fox has long been the Dysfunctional Family Channel. Although it’s not up to either of those standard-bearers, there is an amusing new entry in this category, “Grounded For… Read More
ORONO – A concert originally scheduled for October is canceled by the arrival of a blizzard. When the concert is finally rescheduled, a worse blizzard occurs, but the concert goes on. This scenario was played out Saturday afternoon at the Maine Center for the Arts, as hundreds of… Read More
High-speed chases. Larger-than-life characters. Scantily clad women. These are some of the trademarks of Roger Corman’s films, who returns to make his mark in the new millennium. Corman teams up with writer Craig J. Nevius to create “Black Scorpion,” which debuts at 8 tonight on… Read More
In Theaters “Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000,” 100 minutes, R, directed by Patrick Lussier, written by Joel Soisson. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
In Theaters MISS CONGENIALITY, directed by Donald Petrie, written by Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford and Caryn Lucas. 110 minutes. PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
FLY ROD CROSBY: THE WOMAN WHO MARKETED MAINE, by Julia A. Hunter and Earle G. Shettleworth Jr., Tilbury House Publishers, Gardiner; and Maine State Museum, Augusta; 2000, 209 pages, softcover, $25. Born in Phillips in 1845, Cornelia Thurza Crosby had to be an exceptional woman,… Read More
It would be great to report that Hollywood knocked audiences dead at the cineplex this year, but instead, they were more intent on delivering a ring full of sucker punches. Indeed, time and again, audiences were hammered with a whirlwind of dreck. Bad performances, reformulated… Read More
Are you having a hard time finding a book for a son or daughter who would much rather shoot hoops than read? Do you have a child who struggles with a disability? As you search for positive role models for an active, sports-oriented youngster do you find yourself… Read More
In theaters CAST AWAY Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Written by William Broyles Jr. 143 minutes. PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice())… Read More
In theaters THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE, G, 78 minutes, directed by Mark Dindal, written by David Reynolds. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if… Read More
ONLY IN MAINE, two cassette tapes produced by The Bangor Daily News Book Division, in cooperation with Downeast Publications, Camden, total listening time: 1 hour, 46 minutes, $18.95, available from the Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402. Last weekend’s stormy weather afforded me… Read More
In theaters WHAT WOMEN WANT Directed by Nancy Meyers. Written by Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa and Diane Drake. 110 minutes. PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
Once he got over the shock of television, the Internet and adventures in space, a visiting Charles Dickens no doubt would want to take in a year 2000 production of “A Christmas Carol,” the 1843 tale which annually plays in theaters around the world. Dickens,… Read More
WINTER WAITS, written by Lynn Plourde, illustrated by Greg Couch, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2001, 32 pages, hardcover, $16. Lynn Plourde had written her beautiful and eloquent “Wild Child,” a picture book celebrating autumn, personified as a child in a warm, intimate… Read More
KIND OF BLUE – THE MAKING OF THE MILES DAVIS MASTERPIECE by Ashley Kahn, Da Capo Press, New York, 2000, 222 pages, $23. On two days in early 1959, seven musicians gathered at Columbia’s 30th Street Studio, a converted church in downtown Manhattan. The lineup… Read More
AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY: A NOVEL OF QUILLIFARKEAG, MAINE by G.K. Wuori, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, New York, 2000, $22.95. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length;… Read More
In theaters THE 6TH DAY 124 minutes, PG-14, directed by Roger Spottiswoode, written by Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
The rose water made by the Shakers at Sabbathday Lake is an essential ingredient in one of the breads baked at the Franciscan Friars’ Bakehouse in Bangor. That interesting tidbit is but one of many revealed in the new cookbook “Country Breads of the World.”… Read More
Orono may seem a long way from Broadway, but a riveting production Thursday night of the musical “Chicago” helped to make a cold December night feel a little warmer. The setting was Prohibition in the 1920s. The place was the Windy City – Chicago. The… Read More
A new book about long-term care and Maine’s nursing homes makes the daunting task of finding the right nursing home for a family member a bit easier. The book, “2000-2001 A Guide To Maine Nursing Homes,” by registered nurse Nancy M. Mattis, is an easy-to-read,… Read More
In theaters BEST IN SHOW Directed by Christopher Guest. Written by Guest and Eugene Levy. 90 minutes. PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) {… Read More
ADVENTURE GUIDE TO MAINE, by Earl Brechlin, Hunter Travel Guides, Newmarket, Ontario; 2000; 530 pages; $16.95. Many Mainers love Tim Sample’s self-effacing humor. We can laugh as he mocks our black-fly festivals and trailer parks, because he indisputably is one of us – born in… Read More
LIGHTHOUSE DOG TO THE RESCUE, written by Angeli Perrow, illustrated by Emily Harris, Down East Books, 2000, 32 pages, hardcover, $15.95. Angeli Perrow’s fans have a wish come true just in time for the holidays. Her second children’s book, “Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue,” lives… Read More
ACADIA REVEALED: MOUNT DESERT & ACADIA NATIONAL PARK: THE COMPLETE GUIDE, By Jay Kaiser, Papyrus Travel Guides, Northeast Harbor, 212 pages, $18.95. “Acadia Revealed: The Complete Guide” is a product of Jay Kaiser’s personal knowledge of Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park. Kaiser not… Read More
THE OLD SOMERSET RAILROAD by Walter M. Macdougall, Down East Books, 192 pages, $19.95. Whether you’re an old-time Mainer or a newcomer, you’ll enjoy the nostalgic narrative of “The Old Somerset Railroad” by Walter M. Macdougall. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
TALES FROM RHAPSODY HOME: OR WHAT THEY DON’T TELL YOU ABOUT SENIOR LIVING By John Gould, Algonquin Books, Chapel Hill, N.C., 2000, 182 pages, $18.95. When you are 90 years old, use a walker, have a heart condition and are stuck in a nursing home,… Read More
In theaters DR. T AND THE WOMEN 122 minutes, R, directed by Robert Altman, written by Anne Rapp. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
TASHA TUDOR’S HEIRLOOM CRAFTS, by Tovah Martin, Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 2000, 160 pages, $25. For anyone who ever has dreamed of a simpler, more basic life – of chucking everything and moving into the woods – “Tasha Tudor’s Heirloom Crafts” is as much about… Read More
As a bitter wind chilled the outside world, the Maine Center for the Arts warmed the hearts of young and old with this past weekend’s presentation of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, “The Nutcracker.” While a brass quartet serenaded the crowd with carols before the performance, young couples… Read More
In Theaters KESTREL’S EYE Directed by Mikael Kristersson. 85 minutes. No rating. Now playing, Railroad Square Cinema, Waterville. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
Sequels that improve on ther cinematic forerunners are a rarity. This is especially true among children’s films, where sequels are too often straight-to-video photocopies of the originals. “Rugrats in Paris,” now in theaters, is one of those rare exceptions. Nickelodeon’s popular babies return in a… Read More
PORTLAND – If I had a million dollars, I wouldn’t eat Kraft dinners. I wouldn’t buy a real fur coat – that’s cruel. And I wouldn’t buy anyone’s love. I would pay to have even half the energy the Barenaked Ladies had during Wednesday night’s show at the… Read More
In theaters 102 DALMATIANS. 101 minutes, G, directed by Kevin Lima, written by Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White, based on the novel by Dodie Smith. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
In her new book, “The New American Cheese, Profiles of America’s Great Cheesemakers and Recipes for Cooking with Cheese,” author Laura Werlin relates that she has always loved cheese: so much so, that she even dreams about cheese. Over the past 10 years, the United… Read More
In theaters UNBREAKABLE, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. 107 minutes. PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if… Read More
BUSH PILOT ANGLER: A MEMOIR, by Lee Wulff, Down East Books, Camden, 2000, 228 pages, $24.95. Although he died at 86 a decade ago, from a heart attack while piloting his Piper Super Cub, Lee Wulff is still the unchallenged supreme being of the fly-fishing… Read More
In Theaters RUGRATS IN PARIS 80 minutes. G; directed by Stig Bergqvist and Paul Demeyer; written by J. David Stem, David Weiss, Jill Gorey, Barbara Herndon and Kate Boutilier. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
BAR HARBOR – The 20th season of the Arcady Music Festival continued here Sunday with an evening concert by the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin at the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. Under the direction of founder and music director Misha Rachlevsky, the ensemble opened its program with… Read More
In Theaters HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS Directed by Ron Howard. Written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. Based on the book by Dr. Seuss. 102 minutes. PG. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner… Read More
ORONO – Alzheimer’s is a disease of observation. The mind of one person deteriorates while the world watches, trying to figure out what happened to the loved one it knew. Dulcinea Langfelder would have us look beyond what we see – beyond the dotty old… Read More
BELFAST – Just as the world is closing in on him, the nerdy editor of the Paul Bunyan High School newspaper punches himself in the jaw and turns into – CAPTAIN FAAAAN-TAAAAS-TIC. Mild-mannered Waldo Puppybreath disappears along with the bow tie, clunky black glasses and… Read More
In theaters MEN OF HONOR. 128 minutes, R, directed by George Tillman Jr., written by Scott Marshall Smith. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
BANGOR – An instructional class was taught last Friday night at the Bangor Auditorium and the topic was “Classic Rock Concerts 101.” The guest “instructors” were some of the field’s foremost experts: Survivor, REO Speedwagon, and Styx. Survivor found its way out onstage just after… Read More
ORONO – Broadway is back at Orono High School. A company of eight devoted Orono High School performers will sing and dance their hearts out Thursday night to raise funds for an auditorium they’ll never get to use. “Broadway Tonight 2,” to be performed at… Read More
Following all the foibles of the Clinton administration, the time is ripe for a satiric White House-based comedy. It’s too bad that “DAG,” premiering at 9:30 tonight on NBC, isn’t that sitcom. “DAG,” still in the midst of being retooled as it premieres, wastes two… Read More
ORONO – Against a phalanx of television screens, the cast of Phoenix Productions’ “Godspell” gave a rollicking, thoroughly modern interpretation of this 30-year-old musical Friday night at the Maine Center for the Arts. Gone were the face-painted cast members and chain-link fence backgrounds of past… Read More
In theaters RED PLANET. Directed by Antony Hoffman. Written by Chuck Pfarrer and Jonathan Lemkin. 116 minutes. PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
WHITEBLACK THE PENGUIN SEES THE WORLD, by Margret Rey and Hans Augusto Rey, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2000, 32 pages, $15. New children’s books are coming out all the time, hundreds of titles each year, each one vying for a place on the shelf and in… Read More
KITTERY TO CALAIS: THE MAINE COAST FROM ABOVE, photographs by Charles Feil, text by Jeff Clark, Down East Books, 112 pages, $30. I have to wonder if the birds of Maine realize how good they have it. Or, are the chickadees, ravens and gulls too… Read More
MY WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS TREE, written and illustrated by Dahlov Ipcar, Down East Books, Camden, 1986, reprinted 1999, hardcover, 32 pages, $9.95. “Hey, Mom, look at the blue jays! Remember we saw some when we walked the girls to school? There are nine on this page!”… Read More
LIVING IN NEW ENGLAND, written by Elaine Louie with a foreword by Bill Blass, photographs by Solvi Dos Santos, Simon & Schuster, New York, 2000, 192 pages, hardcover, $35. The title of “Living in New England” is a bit misleading. The book is kind of… Read More
This year it’s anything related to Pokemon. Last year, it was Beanie Babies. In the not-so-distant past, otherwise sane parents were having fistfights in store aisles over limited supplies of Tickle Me Elmo. In a world where Christmas toy fads change like Maine weather, one gift is always… Read More
In Theaters THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE 127 minutes; PG-13; directed by Robert Redford; written by Jeremy Leven; based on the novel by Steven Pressfield. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More
Are you tired of nagging your children about chores or homework? Do you feel drained by frequent arguments and power struggles? Do you give in when it goes against your instincts to buy peace – especially in public places? When your child’s teacher hails you, do you cringe,… Read More
Nearly five years after it was first performed at the Portland Stage Company, Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of “The Turn of the Screw” is back in Maine for a run at the Penobscot Theatre Company in Bangor. The language and one-act length of Hatcher’s dramatization, which… Read More
A story titled “We Found Ellen!” sounds intriguing, and it is. The November issue of the Pemmaquon Call, the quarterly newsletter of the Pembroke Historical Society, contains Donald R. Sprague’s piece on Dr. Ellen Ramsdell Blackwood Chamberlain, born in 1834 in Lubec to Capt. Charles Newhall Ramsdell and… Read More
In Theaters CHARLIE’S ANGELS Directed by McG. Written by Ryan Rowe, Ed Solomon and John August. 92 minutes. PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length;… Read More
ELLSWORTH – Tired of all the campaign ads? Sick of the partisan bickering in Washington? Thinking about skipping the presidential election because it doesn’t matter whom you vote for, politicians are all the same? A dose of “1776” at The Grand Auditorium will cure even… Read More
In Theaters CHUTNEY POPCORN 92 minutes, not rated; directed by Nisha Ganatra; written by Susan Carnival and Ganatra. Starts Friday, Railroad Square Cinema, Waterville. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
One of TV’s leading presences of the last decade is back in a solid new sitcom. John Goodman, best known for his role as Dan Conner on “Roseanne,” returns in the well-constructed “Normal, Ohio,” which debuts at 8:30 tonight on Fox. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
In theaters BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH II. Directed by Joe Berlinger. Written by Dick Beebe and Berlinger. 90 minutes. Rated R. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0;… Read More
The people in attendance Wednesday night at the Maine Center for the Arts got the blues. And they loved it. That’s because the man giving them the blues was two-time Grammy winner Keb’ Mo’, who showed the 1,250 in attendance why he’s one of the… Read More
With the omnipresence of computers in today’s society, some TV series was bound to target cybercrime (Imagine the pitch: “It’s ‘Mission Impossible’ crossed with ‘Hackers.’). “Level 9,” debuting at 9 tonight on UPN, is that show, although it’s not nearly as complex as its subject matter. Read More
In theaters PAY IT FORWARD, 122 minutes, PG-13; directed by Mimi Leder, written by Leslie Dixon, based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
Waves of laughter washed over the Maine Center for the Arts on Monday night as the satirical group the Capitol Steps skewered everyone from Tipper Gore to Monica Lewinsky. Not even Maine’s chief executive, relaxing in the audience with his wife, Mary Herman, escaped the quintet’s poison darts. Read More
What was Michael Richards thinking? The first of the “Seinfeld” alumni to return to TV, the three-time Emmy winner must have had his choice of projects. So why did he pick the sitcom bearing his name, which debuts at 8 tonight on NBC? googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
In theaters BEDAZZLED, directed by Harold Ramis, written by Ramis, Peter Tolan and Larry Gelbart. 93 minutes. PG-13. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
Producer David E. Kelley previously has dissected doctors, private eyes, small-town America and all manner of lawyers. Now he’s turned his sites to public education. “Boston Public,” debuting at 8 tonight on Fox, looks at life at Winslow High, a midsize high school in Boston. Read More
ORONO – Take the MTV Video Music Awards. Add a little culture. Subtract Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Substitute Brazilian beats for pop and rock. Keep all the flash, the beautiful bodies, the sinewy dancers and the wild, revealing outfits, and there you have it: the Bale Folclorico… Read More
More uninvited Japanese monsters are currently invading local movie theaters. This time, it’s a new outbreak of little colored blobs in “Digimon: The Movie.” So what’s the difference between “Digimon” and that other merchandising monster, “Pokemon?” At first glance, about four letters. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Brass quintet concert begins Arcady season > Innovata mixes classical with classics in spirited show
BAR HARBOR – There’s nothing like a glorious autumn afternoon to open your eyes to how fresh and new every second can be. You see a pattern of leaves, start to enjoy it and, just like that, a gust of wind gives you a new mix. Read More
BANGOR – Gina Barreca says she gives good scarf. Twirling a tan, silk number flung around her neck, Barreca fired off the comment near the start of a show Tuesday night. Filled with sexual innuendo, the comment tickled the 80-plus women who came to hear the professor-turned-humorist proffer… Read More
In Theaters THE CONTENDER 130 minutes, R, written and directed by Rod Lurie. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if… Read More
The stage of the Maine Center for the Arts became a showplace Saturday night for the varied strengths of women in the musical arts, as guest conductor Kay Gardner led a 40-member orchestra of female members of the Bangor Symphony Orchestra through a repertoire of seven vastly dissimilar… Read More
In Theaters THE EXORCIST: THE VERSION YOU’VE NEVER SEEN Directed by William Friedkin. Written by William Peter Blatty, based on his novel. 132 minutes. Rated R. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
A DAY’S WORK, Part II, by W.H. Bunting, Tilbury House, Gardiner, Me.; 2000, 384 pages, $35 paperback, $55 hardcover. When W.H. Bunting compiled the first part of “A Day’s Work” in 1997, he asked readers not to think of the book of more than 200… Read More
SOUTHWEST HARBOR – “The Little Prince,” the French classic by Antoine de Saint-ExupTry, never has failed to find fans in each new generation of readers. The only thing that has faded over the years are the illustrations. But Harcourt, the book’s American publisher since the first edition appeared… Read More
ORONO – The stage at the Maine Center for the Arts became a painted cave Wednesday evening as flutist Robert Mirabal and the Raretribalmob brought the stories, traditions and hopes of the Taos Pueblo Indians of New Mexico to the University of Maine. Emerging from… Read More
In Theaters DUETS 113 minutes. Rated R; directed by Bruce Paltrow, written by John Byrum. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice())… Read More
CAMDEN — The words floated in the air during Saturday evening’s intermission at the Camden Opera House: “I really would like to take piano lessons again.” Just moments earlier, pianist Dick Zimmerman sent chills up the spines of listeners with one of the most popular… Read More
Star vehicles on TV are a tricky thing. Without the right cast or a well-developed concept, the wheels can come off rather easily. Twonew comedies debuting tonight on CBS illustrate this point to different degrees. First, at 8 p.m., is “Bette,” this year’s winner of… Read More
BELFAST – The continuing national debate concerning abortion erupted last week on the Belfast Maskers’ stage. Yet, what should have been an emotional knockout punch felt more like a slight slap in the face at Saturday night’s performance. “Keely and Du” is a risky production… Read More
Fans of the late, underappreciated “Homicide” should rejoice, as its creator and one of its stars have reunited in a new drama. “Gideon’s Crossing” debuts at 10 tonight on ABC, before moving to its regular 10 p.m. Wednesday tie slot Oct. 18. The medical drama… Read More
Saturday night’s concert at the Bangor Auditorium offered a rare opportunity to see three top country singers sharing the stage. Now sharing the stage is different from sharing a bill, where each performer and his or her own bands do their set, then make way… Read More
Give me the bonus of laughter as I lose hold. – Sir John Betjeman googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) {… Read More
MEET THE PARENTS, directed by Jay Roach, written by Jim Herzfeld and John Hamburg, based on a story by Greg Slienna and Mary Ruth Clarke. 105 minutes. Rated PG-13. The new Jay Roach comedy, “Meet the Parents,” follows the unfortunately named Greg Focker (Ben Stiller),… Read More
DANIEL PLAINWAY OR THE HOLIDAY HAUNTING OF THE MOOSEPATH LEAGUE By Van Reid, Viking-Penguin, New York, 385 pages, hardcover, $24.95. The Moosepath League ends its first year of existence solving the problem of Bird. The young orphan boy briefly crossed the members’ path in their… Read More
SHY MAMA’S HALLOWEEN By Anne Broyles; illustrated by Leane Morin, Tilbury House Publishers, Gardiner, Maine; 2000; $16.95. Although many books have been written with Halloween themes, few have captured the true enchantment of a night when even the most mundane objects are transformed and all… Read More
The simplest-titled show of the new season is one of its best. “Ed,” debuting at 8 p.m. Sunday on NBC, is named after Ed Stevens. Ed (played by Thomas Cavanaugh) was a New York City contracts lawyer who suffers professional and professional setbacks on the… Read More
MURDER WITH PUFFINS, Donna Andrews, St. Martin’s Minotaur, New York, 2000, 281 pages, $24.95. Birds, birders and a collection of oddball characters assembled on Monhegan Island off the coast of Maine – and even a hurricane – make an eclectic mix for this mystery. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
For children, the wait for Halloween seems endless. And then the festivities are over all too soon. But the right books and activities can help families savor this special time of the year. Laurie Rose, youth services librarian at the Orono Public Library, and Anne… Read More
“Freakylinks,” debuting at 9 p.m. on Fox, shows why paranormal series are such a tough sell to the masses. It also points out why “The X-Files” has kept popular appeal, while so many imitators fall by the wayside. Since many viewers won’t even acknowledge any… Read More
Family programming is too often viewed as a derogative term. If a show is tame enough for the whole family to watch, how good can it be? If the “Gilmore Girls,” which debuts at 8 p.m. on The WB, is any indicator, quite good indeed. Read More
In theaters REMEMBER THE TITANS 113 minutes, PG; directed by Boaz Yakin, written by Gregory Allen Howard. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) {… Read More
GO BANANAS! By Susan Quick, Broadway Books, New York, 2000, 193 pages, $16. Theoretically, I like bananas. Where so many other fruits leave me hollow after zesting past my palate, bananas have a body and a pasty comfort that satisfyingly centers in the stomach. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
The name of Aaron Spelling has long been synonymous with the so-campy-they’re-cool nighttime soap operas. The producer was behind such standouts in the field as “Dynasty,” “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Melrose Place.” But every now and then Spelling misfires. Does anyone remember the nursing-students-in-nighties effort… Read More
ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT By Stephen King, Scribner, New York, 2000, 288 pages, $25. In the book’s foreword, Stephen King admits he had much trepidation before beginning a book on writing: “I didn’t want to write a book, even a short one… Read More
James Cameron, “Titanic” grossed $1.8 billion worldwide and earned 11 Academy Awards. What are you going to do next? Well, strangely enough, while his movie adaptation of “Spider-Man” crawls through development, Cameron opted to go to Fox Broadcasting Company. Yes, the movie magnate is dabbling… Read More